Program Description
General Educational Development (GED®) classes prepare students to take the tests required to earn the GED® high school equivalency certificate. Preparation classes are offered in English.
Enrollment qualifications
- Students must reside in the Black Hawk College District.
- Students must be at least 17 years of age or older and not enrolled in a K-12 school district. Please be aware that 16-year-old students may enroll only with parental and K-12 school district permission.
- Youth GED® classes (High School Credit/Youth GED®) may be an option for students starting at age 16 who qualify. If you are unsure of which class section to attend, visit the Optional Education Youth GED® page or inquire at the time of registration.
Cost of classes
Qualifying students attend the Black Hawk College preparation classes without cost. However, students should note that there is a fee to take the GED® test. For registration dates and times, contact us at 309-796-8216.
Test registration
To register to take the computer-based test, visit GED Testing Service®.
GED®
- Anyone who is 18 years of age or older, maintained residence in the State of Illinois for at least 30 days, and are not high school graduates, but whose high school class has graduated.
- A member of the Armed Forces of the United States on active duty, who is 17 years of age or older, and who is stationed in Illinois or is a legal resident of Illinois
- A ward of the Department of Corrections who is 17 years of age or older, or an inmate confined in any branch of the Illinois State Penitentiary or in a county correctional facility.
- A female/male who is 17 years of age or older who is unable to attend school because she is either pregnant or the mother/father of one or more children
- A person who is 17 years of age or older who has been a dropout for a period of at least one year
- A person who is successfully competing an alternative education program under Section 2-3.81 or Article 13A of The School Code of Illinois
- A person who is enrolled in the youth education program sponsored by the Illinois National Guard (Lincoln’s Challenge)
Each of the four GED tests are $30. When a student is ready to take a GED test they must go to GED.com and login to their personal GED account, register for a test date and time, and pay the $30 fee. Adult Education staff is available to help students create a personal GED account and register for tests. Although registration occurs through GED.com, all testing is done at either The Black Hawk College Testing Center, or The Rock Island County Regional Office of Education.
Tests are offered at The Black Hawk College Testing Center and The Rock Island County Regional Office of Education to take the test. If students choose to test at that The Rock Island County Regional Office of Education they must contact the office directly to set up a preferred testing date and time. If students choose to take the test at The Black Hawk College Testing Center no appointment is needed. Students are welcome to walk in during normal business hours to test. The only requirement is that students arrive one hour before close of business to ensure ample testing time.
There is no fee to take the Constitution module. This module can be completed once students have taken their first GED exam.
Black Hawk College Testing Center
6600 34th Avenue
Moline, Illinois 61265
309-796-5170
Rock Island County Regional Office of Education
3430 Avenue of the Cities
Moline, Illinois 61265
Phone: 309-736-1111
Students must obtain a score of 145 or higher on all four of the GED tests. Students who score above 165 (on any test subject) are considered ready to be college ready.
The Constitution score is not included in the overall total. Students who have high school transcripts indicating a passed Constitution test will have the test waived. Transcripts must be sent to the appropriate Testing Center.
Students are allowed to retake GED tests a maximum of three times within a calendar year. There is a fee of $10 for each GED retake test.
There is no fee or limit of retake tests associated with the Constitution test.
Requests for classroom accommodations are to be submitted to the Black Hawk College Office of Disability Services. Requests for GED test accommodations are to be sent to GED Testing Services. Requests for Constitution test accommodations are to be sent to the appropriate testing location (Black Hawk College Testing Center or the Rock Island Regional Office of Education).
Black Hawk College staff is available to assist any students who wish to submit requests for accommodations.
Offered accommodations include: extended time, large print text, audio tape versions, readers, and scribes.
Form L-15 or form SA-001 should be requested when registering for special needs.
Black Hawk College offers classes at no cost, at the following locations:
- Outreach Center, 301 Avenue of the Cities, East Moline, IL or call 309-796-8216
- Adult Learning Center, 4610 Blackhawk Commons Drive, Rock Island, IL or call 309-794-1072
- Community Education Center, 202 E. Third St., Kewanee, IL or call 309-854-1875
For more information about prep classes please call 309-796-8216.
Area bookstore and libraries have preparatory materials available.
Online GED® Practice Tests are available as well at gedpractice.com.
Cooperating schools require students to attend a class for a specified number of hours per .5 credit. While in attendance, students must complete the required assigned work at a passing level. Each class completed is worth one-half credit. Credit cannot be earned unless both attendance and work requirements are met.
Students have the potential to earn credit more quickly in their home schools. Students who complete a full schedule of classes at the home school have the potential to earn 7 credits per year. Optional Education has a shorter day (4 or 5 hours), so students can only expect to complete 4 to 5 credits during an academic year. Some students earn less due to poor attendance or productivity.
GED® students prepare to demonstrate that they have the same skills as the average high school graduate in five fields: Literature and the Arts, Writing Skills, Science, Social Studies, and Mathematics. Students are tested when they enroll to help determine what areas need attention. Instructors then work with students to design a program that meets individual needs.
GED® graduates are eligible to enroll in college classes. While GED® graduates with high GED® and college entrance scores may go directly to a four-year institution, many begin college at a community college like Black Hawk College. A college-bound GED® student should strive to earn scores that are higher than the minimum passing score. The student should also consider enrolling in keyboarding and introductory computer classes. Typing and computer skills will make the transition to college much easier.
For Optional Education-/Youth GED contact Laura Bragg braggl@mynewdegree.com – 309-796-8252.
For Adult GED contact Jennifer Sweborg sweborgj@mynewdegree.com – 309-796-5562.